[The ageless Cumaean clairvoyant, Sibyl, presently lives as the house-lizard in my room. Earlier, she was the priestess presiding over the Apollonian Oracle at Cumae, a Greek colony located near Naples, Italy. It was she herself, who taught me that the word ‘sibyl’ comes via Latin from the ancient Greek word ‘sibylla’, meaning ‘prophetess’, and that there were eventually many Sibyls in the ancient world. When Nachiketa asked Yama about the meaning of ‘Death’, Yama taught him the ‘Kathopanishada’. Now, when I ask Sibyl about the meaning of ‘Eternity’, she teaches me the following.]

abandon hopeall ye who enter herewelcome to infernoHOW MAN BECOMES ETERNALhere are the twin gates of sleepthis gate of horn allows an easy exitfor shadows which are trueand it is through this gate of ivorythat false dreams or visions which in fact are illusionsare sent to living creatures by the spiritsHOW MAN BECOMES ETERNALnorth east west southacheron cocytus lethe phlegethon styxnortheast northwest southwest southeastwoe wail oblivion flaming oathHOW MAN BECOMES ETERNALthe dead and the living travel on the same boatthey are the two tails of the same cointhe head is missingnothe boat is the headthey are not deadand they were never aliveam i aliveare you aliveam i deadare you deadare we deadare we aliveHOW MAN BECOMES ETERNALclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapshameshameshameshameshameshameshameshameshameshameshamecheercheercheercheercheercheercheercheercheercheercheerHOW MAN BECOMES ETERNALrow on your skiff charonahhpoor old ferrymanwhat a filthy beardthere lurks cerberusto dispute the waymercilessneverthelessremember psychefollow her honeyed cakeHOW MAN BECOMES ETERNALohhwhat unforeseen fecundityrichness of inventionprolificnessimpregnatibilityand of coursetoo overniceehhwhat darknessempty shades are passinghow vacant and infinite the spaceHOW MAN BECOMES ETERNALand pus and blood and semen and sweat and vomit andthe images are all dumbyet they are conveying secret painsunseen sufferingscursed soulsuhhwhat silencewhat obscure faceswhat mysteryHOW MAN BECOMES ETERNALmine our your his her its their everyones noones anyones someonesconscience conscience conscience conscience conscience conscience conscienceis is is is is is is is is is isdying dying dying dying dying dying dying dying dying dying dyingHOW MAN BECOMES ETERNALnonot deadrather they are trappedbetween life and deathwhy nilotpal whywhy such hankering after eternityyou are alonewe are all aloneand we can no more senseour todays tomorrows and yesterdaysare we aliveare we deadare you deadam i deadam i aliveare you aliveHOW MAN BECOMES ETERNALthe truth is that we are doomeddestined to damnationat nowhereeven worse than nowhereHOW MAN BECOMES ETERNALeach everyday is a questfloating upon the waves of timeyhhwhat timelessnesswhat ethereal enigmawhat vast emptinesswho can fill it upand who can wash all bloodstainsfrom the blades of our teethsilence is seldom anonymousHOW MAN BECOMES ETERNAL i will let you knowif thats what you wantthat we are all trappedyesand damn well trapped toobetween the beginning and the endand the end and the beginningbetween entry and exitand exit and entryand above allHOW MAN BECOMES ETERNALwelcome to infernoabandon hopeall ye who enter here